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Sample Scenarios for Watch Commanders (#2)

You are the Day Shift Watch Commander at a patrol station. At approximately 1430 hours, thirty minutes prior to the end of the shift, you hear your patrol units being dispatched to a local high school regarding a "shot fired" call. The all indicates there are several active shooters and several critically wounded victims located throughout the campus. The call further indicates a massive number of students are attempting to leave campus, while awaiting parents are trying to enter the campus to find their children.

How would you handle this situation to conclusion?

Initiate a tactical response

Execute "School Safety Plan"
Rapid Response Team Deployment – Immediately eliminate threat if possible

Lock down the school
Deploy deputies as needed to establish a containment
Ensure a sergeant is on scene to position personnel, direct activities and communicate developments

Assess the situation

Make initial assessment
Gather intelligence
Talk to those being evacuated from the area
Determine suspects description, location, and weapon used
Determine the number of victims and their location
Are there any hostages? Where are they located?
If applicable, determine the status of and the risk to the hostages.
Account for all school personnel
Determine the existence, nature and extent of any injuries and what kind of medical attention is needed
Identify resources that are required to contain and resolve the situation
Determine what weapons might fit the situation and whether you have personnel who are qualified to use the weapons
What emergency medical staff are needed to treat the injures?
Ensure there are sufficient resources to handle any other incoming calls for service
Determine the cost of the operation (overtime)

Request and deploy necessary and appropriate resources to contain and resolve the situation

Request additional deputy personnel from the nearby Sheriff’s Station
Provide for appropriate tactical response by requesting SEB and Crisis Negotiation Team (CNT)
Request emergency medical service (e.g., paramedics, ambulance services and the Fire Department)
Mutual Aid

Ensure a command Post (CP) and staging area are established

Watch Commander should respond to the scene to assume command
Staging area needs to be large enough for responding personnel
Ensure the CP is in a safe location, but close enough to the incident scene
Initiate and maintain a major incident log
Ensure communications are in place
Ensure responding personnel know where to report and the safest route
Initiate Incident command System
Establish an area for SHB staff to liaison with the media
Establish an area for the school officials to liaison with the parents

Cause appropriate notifications to be made

Unit commander
Division Chief
Aero Bureau
Special Enforcement Bureau/ Crisis Negotiation Team
School Administrator
Fire Department / Paramedics
Area Command Team (A.C.T.)

Ongoing assessment/involvement in the response to the situation

What are the suspects doing? Have they moved?
Where are personnel deployed?
Are they still in proper position?
What are the response times for SEB, CNT, and other responding units?
Assess the potential for ending the situation quickly through use of weapons or other means
Determine a tactical response in case the suspects threaten others’ lives
Monitor the situation and adjust your response to any changes in the situation

Ensure dialog with suspect(s) is initiated

Identify anyone who is currently in contact with the suspect(s) and determine whether they are a suitable contact
Do not become part of the problem by automatically assuming that you as the Watch Commander should be the contact
Relinquish communication responsibilities with the suspect(s) to the Crisis Negotiation Team upon their arrival

Follow-up after the incident is resolved

Debrief and critique the handling of the incident (identify training and policy issues) – include school administrators, emergency medical officials and other critical participants
Ensure appropriate reports and other documentation are completed
Request Employee Support Services (ESS) to assist on-scene personnel with any emotional/psychological trauma associated with the incident

You are the Watch Commander at a station. Deputies respond to a residential burglary in progress. As the responding units arrive at the scene, one of the two suspects brandishes a handgun at them. The suspects flee from the residential neighborhood at a high rate of speed. A responding motorcycle unit broadcasts that he is now in pursuit of the vehicle as it is now approaching a freeway entrance.

As the Watch Commander, what are your concerns and what actions would you take?

Note: Even if you would immediately terminate the pursuit, explain why and then respond to the question as if the pursuit had been allowed to continue to demonstrate you know how to manage a pursuit relative to tactics, notifications, concerns, and the terminus of the pursuit.

Concerns

Public safety and the overall safety of everyone involved – you should discuss the risk of a pursuit and demonstrate the ability to balance competing interest
Thorough knowledge of all aspects of the pursuit policy
Tactical considerations of pursuits
Risk Management – control of pursuit terminus including tactical and safety consideration

Assess the situation (Immediate response)

Watch Commander shall respond to the desk and take command
Establish a "coldline" Communication with SCC
Establish immediate Operational Control and Command
Have the burglary location checked for victims and confirmation of this crime
Notify other agencies
Ensure that the required information is provided/collected:

Unit Identification

Location, Speed & Direction of travel

Reason for the pursuit

Vehicle description

Number of occupants – traffic conditions

Know the restrictions on motorcycle, i.e., motorcyles should terminate their involvement when a marked patrol vehicle arrives
Ensure a field sergeant is responding
Aero Bureau
Post pursuit discipline

Ensure the pursuit policy is followed (i.e., demonstrate your knowledge of Policy)

Make a decision based upon the balance of the information whether or not this pursuit meets the Departmental policy necessary to continue:

Consider seriousness of the offense

The speed involved

The safety of the public in the area

Pedestrian/vehicle traffic volume, and road conditions

Follow-up on Management and Training issues

Was the pursuit policy followed?
Watch Commander must complete the Pursuit Evaluation Form for the Unit Commander’s review. Send it to traffic Services/CHP 180 must be submitted to the State

Must include Debriefing and documentation

Pursuit Review Committee

You are the Watch Commander at Central Jail. An inmate contacts you and says that earlier that evening he saw two deputies beat an inmate who was caught "roaming" on the 2^nd floor. He says that he knows for a fact that the beating was not reported by either deputy or the inmate.

What are your concerns and what would be your course of action?

Concerns

Core Values
Criminal conduct by Department personnel
Risk Management
Possible prevailing mentality of prisoner abuse
Potential implications if allegation are true
Civil case could be filed against the County and Department
Bad publicity for the Department
Adverse impact to the deputy’s career

Immediate Actions as the Watch Commander

Conduct a preliminary inquiry to understand and specify the allegations and to determine whether they are possible/true

Interview the complainant inmate and evaluate his allegation
Attempt to identify the victim of the alleged force
Determine if force was reported by the deputies
Identify involved personnel
Gather any incident reports which may be related to the incident
Determine if there were any witnesses to the allegation, Department personnel or inmates
Document the incident

If there appears to be no indication of misconduct, interview the concerned deputies regarding the complaint

Consider discipline for the complainant inmate

If allegation of misconduct appears to be true, consult with the Unit Commander for further direction

Preserve incident scene and potential evidence
Ensure that the involved inmate receives medical treatment

Get direction on whether and when to request Internal Criminal Investigation Bureau (ICIB) or Internal Affairs Bureau (IAB) to conduct an investigation
Civil cases could be filed against the County and the Department
The deputy’s career could be adversely affected
The deputies could be relieved of duty, investigated, and could be fired, prosecuted and convicted.

Follow up

Ensure all supervisors are conducting regular briefings regarding: Department/facility policies on the use of force.

You are a Lieutenant assigned to a patrol station where on duty traffic collisions have become a major problem. A collision reduction program has been developed which calls for active supervision by the field sergeants. When sergeants counsel or commend deputies for their driving, they are to document their efforts with a performance log entry.

During the first week of the program, you see numerous examples of out of policy driving by deputies which are clearly witnesses by two different field sergeants. However, neither sergeant took any action as required by the plan.

What are your concerns, and what actions would you take?

Risk Management

Officer and public Safety
Liability/Lawsuits

Supervision

Leadership
Undermining
Lack of Supervision
-on this issue
-on other issues

Performance to standards

Tacit approval of unacceptable conduct
Unit morale
Fosters negative culture

Meet with and counsel the sergeant’s separately

Explain what you saw and your concerns
Listen to their side

Communicate your expectation of them and the deputies

Reiterate the reason for the plan and its benefits
Lead by example

Document your discussion in performance log entries for the sergeants.

Document your personal observations of good and bad driving.

Make sure your driving is exemplary

Notifications/Communications

Notify the Unit commander of your observations and actions
Ensure that all sergeants and deputies understand both your and the captain’s expectations
Ensure ongoing briefings and focus on the plan

Follow up

Monitor briefings, performance log and field behavior
Formally and publicly commend good driving whenever possible
Formally commend sergeants efforts in support of the plan
Evaluate the effectiveness of the plan and recommend changes if necessary

While you are working as the shift Watch Commander, an employee asks to speak to you in private. The employee alleges being repeatedly subjected to unwelcome sexual advances from his/her supervisor. The employee has told the supervisor to stop the unwelcome conduct without any success. However, the supervisor has continued flirting with the employee.

How would you proceed with this complaint? What are your concerns and what are the ramifications, if the allegations are true?

Concerns/Ramifications

Unprofessional behavior in workplace
Morale issues
Risk Management issues
Department Policy of Equality (POE) not taken seriously
Disciplinary Action

Make appropriate notifications

Immediately notify the intake Specialist of the incident(s) or complaint and any initial steps taken by the supervisor or manager
Advise the Unit Commander
Conduct preliminary inquiry
Interview the complainant and document complaint
Obtain and review evidence (i.e. letters, e-mail messages, or any other items of evidentiary nature)
Inquire if medical attention is needed

Complete a Policy of Equality Report for POE-001 ("POE Report Form)

Promptly file the original POE with the Intake Specialist Unit

Admonish Subject Employee

Reiterate the Department’s Policy of Equality (must include retaliation)
Stop conduct that violates the Policy by taking immediate and appropriate action whether or not the involved Department member are within their line of supervision

Take immediate action to prevent retaliation towards the complaining party

Deter and eliminate any hostile work environment

If a situation requires separation of the involved parties, particular care must be taken to avoid actions that appear to punish the complaining party.